


Hello My Old Heart

by ok_but_first_tea



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Everyone Is Alive, Families of Choice, Multi, lots of liches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-12
Updated: 2019-01-12
Packaged: 2019-09-28 02:10:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17173850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ok_but_first_tea/pseuds/ok_but_first_tea
Summary: Taako enlisted Kravitz help in finding Lup. The only problem being that Lucretia didn't know about this when she erases their memories.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> working title of this fic: "my universe now fuckers"  
> I have so many ideas for this au, lets see how far i come haha
> 
> If you're reading this instead of sleeping go sleep!! Sleep is Good!!! Love y'all <3 Hope you like the fic

Kravitz was drowning in work. Death was all around these days, and as one of the few reapers this plane possesed, it was hard work. Not only did he need to do his usual work though, his usual work he could handle easily. No, this was something else- something more.  
Mysterious wars, magic he’d never seen before, not to mention the necromantic bell that had been apparently floating around. As the year progressed, the chaos had only gotten worse.

Kravitz barely had time for his normal duties. He ignored summonings left and right, let leads for necromantic death cults slip out of his hands without as much as a glance. He simply didn’t have time for anything less than catastrophic. And even then, there was more than enough to do.

He was just finishing up some more tricky runes that were supposed to help him keep track of big, unexpected outpourings of magic, when he felt a tingle. First only in his fingers, but then it quickly spread, up through his arms and down his spine. The feeling was familiar to Kravitz, though usually it was way more subdued.  
It was a summoning, and a powerful one at that. Kravitz would associate a summoning this powerful with his Queen, though he knew Her magic intimately, and this felt nothing like it. Still, not unlike callings from his Queen, he was utterly unable to resist it.  
Kravitz was more than a little annoyed to be so forcefully pulled away from his duties. For that reason, he might have gone a little overboard on the Hellfire & Doom act he put up.

With flaming eyes and deep black, rune carved bones he stood tall as his surroundings shifted. He prepared himself for the dark and muffy dungeons that high level necromantic cults loved so much. He prepared himself for a small (or big) army of the most unlawful creatures this world could throw at him.

He wasn’t prepared for a well-lit cottage, the smell of rich chocolate milk wafting through the air. Through the big open windows, Kravitz thought he could see some hints of a forrest. Though he didn’t give himself much time to look at it. Most of his attention was focussed on the elf, sitting in the middle of the room.

The elf’s clothes and arms were covered in variously colored chalk, presumably from the chalk symbols drawn all over the floor, walls, and even the ceiling. The little furniture the room had, had been shoved aside to make place for the symbols.

The elf looked up. Their dark golden hair was held together in a bun that escaped gravity’s pull, for if it hadn’t it surely would have fallen apart already. Their skin looked soft. The golden light in the room expertly complemented the elf’s warm dark brown complexion.

The elfs eyes fell upon Kravitz figure. The elf looked almost bored. They shot Kravitz a quick semi-smile and then started dusting the chalk off their skirt. Or trying to, at least.

“Fucking finally..” They muttered to themself. Kravitz looked down at  himself, and his hulking, 7-foot, flaming figure of death Herself. He looked back at the single, gorgeous elf in the room, who was not, as he’d previously assumed, a powerful necromantic lich army.

Kravitz stood a little straighter.

“What is the meaning of this?” Kravitz asked. His voice was hollow and echoing. The elf shot him a look that would make any tired teacher jealous.

“Look homie,” The elf began, once again throwing Kravitz for a loop, “Cha’boy’s day hasn’t been great either, but you don’t see me go be all-” the elf, who Kravitz gathered to be male, waved his hand vaguely in Kravitz direction. Now Kravitz had gotten a few moments to get over his initial shock, he noticed the bags under the elfs eyes, and the hunched way he moved. Tired. Exhausted, maybe even.

Kravitz spluttered a little, indignantly. The elf had meanwhile moved on and walked over the the little kitchenette, which sat folded into a corner of the room.

Kravitz guessed it to be the source of the chocolate smell.

“Drink?”  

Wearily, Kravitz stepped out of the summoning circle.

Questions spun through his mind like spider webs, intricately hanging together, leading from one to another. It was easy to get stuck in, asking one question and spinning yourself into a cocoon of questions you could never escape. But ultimately, Kravitz found it to be even easier to toss all of it aside, for the time being, especially in the face of warm chocolate milk.

The elf pulled, with an absent-minded sweep of his (long, graceful) fingers through the air, a small table and a handful of chairs to the centre of the room. Kravitz noted how he didn’t even look up from pouring the chocolate in the mugs.

Kravitz once again thought of how he’d been expecting a high-level army of highly specialised necromancers, and instead was facing down one (1) tired elf.

Shivers shot down Kravitz back. He sat down at the table.

As he was sitting down, Kravitz noticed the sudden smell of burning. The elf giggled, which Kravitz did not find adorable. He absolutely did not. That would be unprofessional.

“Try not to burn the house down while you’re at it, my dude.” the elf said. Kravitz shot up out of his seat and saw indeed the scorch marks of the wooden chair. He quickly dimmed his fire and returned to his usual white skeleton, the only flame being his eyes.

Taako set down two mugs of hot chocolate and looked on. After some quick contemplation, Kravitz turned to his human form. As a token of goodwill. And also because that hot chocolate smelled very good, and drinking went easier with actual lips and a digestive system for the drink to pass through.

Kravitz dusted off imaginary dust from his suit. He heard the elf whistle.

“Well hello handsome, you could have done that sooner, you know.”

Kravitz was glad his skeletal form couldn’t blush and sat down again. This time he was careful not to set anything else on fire.

“I- I have to ask, um.” Kravitz started, “You don’t look very, err..”   
The elf smiled. “Please, call me Taako.” A strange elf with a strange name, Kravitz pondered.

“Kravitz.”

“Pardon?”

“Kravitz, that’s my name.” Kravitz clarified. He felt a little ashamed for handing out his name so quickly to a stranger. He’d done so without even thinking about it.  
On the other hand, it was hard to feel too bad about it. Not with the way the corners of Taako’s mouth curled up into a smile.

“Nice to meet you, Kravitz.” Taako said. And Kraviz couldn’t help but notice how nice the word sounded in Taako’s melodic accent.

“Nice to me-uuh, Yes. You summoned me.” Kravitz said, in an accusatory tone of voice. “You can’t just summon me. How did you even- _you_ summoned me.” Kravitz felt as though he was quickly losing ground, even though the conversation had barely begun. Maybe that was the problem.   
Kravitz hadn’t anticipated much talking to begin with.

Taako stopped smiling and nodded, his face turned serious.  
“I did.” He said. “I have some answers you might be looking for, but I also need a favour. I’m looking for someone important to me. I think you might be able to find her.”

Kravitz raised his eyebrows. “That’s a very bold question. A favour, in times like these? Do you know the kind of chaos that’s out there right now? A lot of people are missing Taako, why should I help you? Why should I even take the time to talk to you.”   
Taako winced. “Yeah, so, sorry about that one. That’s on Taako. Umm, so I have a story that might.. explain some. It might take a while.”   
Before Kravitz could respond, he added, “Also I have hot chocolate.”

Kravitz sighed, and sipped. Partly because it smelled good but also to win some time to take in the situation. Kravitz wasn’t very worried about being poisoned, being already dead and everything.  
Everything about this situation was weird, and Kravitz had enough of things to do. But Taako seemed powerful,and Kravitz did have a lot of questions. If Taako could even answer one of them he’d count it as a win. And besides that, Kravitz had gone a long while without taking a break. Maybe talking with this stranger wasn’t the worst way he could spend his time.

“Well then, better start talking I suppose.” Kravitz smiled kindly and Taako mirrored him. A little bit of the tension went out from Taako’s shoulders.

“Hell yeah Krav, hold on to your socks, because you’re gonna shit a brick when you hear this..”

 

\---

 

Taako dusted off all the symbols he’d drawn in the little house earlier. With a big broom he scrubbed down the floor, walls, and ceiling, until all the ruins and writings were gone, or at least, sufficiently unintelligible.  
Kravitz was a nice dude. He’d had left a little earlier, with the promise to take a look at the stockade while he was gone. He hadn’t been too happy with all the deaths, but overall, it had gone better than Taako had expected.

Way better, actually.

Taako smiled to himself. He gathered the empty cups and put them in the sink with some other dishes. He’d been out here for a while. To the crew, he said he’d be out looking for Lup, which wasn’t technically wrong.

Taako sat down on one of the chairs.  He’d bought the house impulsively, as a private hideout. He sighed, and allowed himself to think about a future where Lup was with him. She’d like the house, he thought. She’d like how the light falls into the windows.

He imagined her and Barry dancing through the living room, while Merle and Davenport played a game of chess at the fireplace. He imagined the sound of Lucretia’s scribbling while she sat on a comfortable couch. He imagined cooking food, and making just enough of a show for it to keep Magnus entertained to keep him from trying to eat it before it would be done.

He imagined warmth, and laughter, and a house filled with all his family.

It was only when Taako opened his eyes, that he noticed the tears falling from his eyes.

He quickly wiped his eyes and went back to work on cleaning the house.

The rest of them didn’t even know about this house. And besides, they’d probably want to settle somewhere else anyway. If at all.

He shook the thoughts from his mind.

Focus, he thought. Getting Lup back first.

Tonight, he’d stay in the house. Tomorrow he’d make his way up the hill and signal Dav that he’s ready to be picked up. He’d make Barry shower and eat, something he’d probably neglected since Taako had gone.

It was one of the reasons Taako couldn’t tell Barry about what he was doing, who Taako was willing to ask for help. If only because the potential disappointment might end him.

Another quick sweep through the room and Taako was done for the day. He stretched a little, his shoulders cracking up an orchestra, and went to bed.

New day, new chances.

 

\--

 

The Starblaster was quiet, though it was far from peaceful. Magnus fretted over anyone that would let him, and while Taako being back did help Barry’s overall state of being, it didn’t help that there were now two of them to full time stress about Lup.

Lucretia sighed and rested her head on her bureau.

Magnus knocked on the door.

“Lucretiaaa” He sang, “I’ve got foood. Are you dressed?” He asked.

Lucretia tried answering, and found an all consuming void inside herself eating all her words.

“You aren’t uuh, _busy,_ are you?” Magnus muffled voice came through the door.

Lucretia snorted and felt the void inside her lift, and though the uncomfortable feeling lingered, she easily sidestepped it to open the door.   
“Magnus.” she said.   
“Lucretia.” He said, smiling, “This is your trice-daily reminder that we, as only remaining living human crew, need to eat. Every day. Three times.” With that he pushed a small tray with a small assortment of foods in her hands. “Happy number two.”

Lucretia smiled a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. Magnus didn’t call her out on it. It had been like that for a while between them. Between all of them.

She thanked him for the food.

Years- decades- later, Magnus would ask himself what would have happened if he had called her out on it. If he should have sat down and not let her get away with half answers and sad smiles. If he’d made her open up sooner, or given her a hug and a chance to talk it out. If he hadn’t assumed she knew he loved her, and would move mountains for her if she so much as asked.

He wondered if anything would have changed at all.

But he hadn’t done any of that, and so he would be left to wonder.

Magnus smiled at his sister, nodded, and let himself be content with making and delivering food a few times a day.   
“Love ya, Luce.” He said, as way of goodbye. And she responded in kind.

When Magnus returned to the kitchen, he found Taako in what he thought of as “Taako’s natural habitat”, muttering words to himself, hunched over something, and in the kitchen. Taako’s back was turned toward him, but Magnus could see he was shoving fruits into a bag.

“Are you leaving again?” Magnus asked, his voice the embodiment of :( .  

Taako stilled, but didn’t turn around. “Yes. I shouldn’t be away too long though, so no need to go all mopey on me, big boy.”

Magnus nodded, though Taako couldn’t see with his back turned to Magnus. Magnus understood, of course.

With Lup gone, the ship was filled with tension. Taako didn’t do well with people’s emotions, even less so with his own. And now Lup was gone there was noone to call him out effectively. Maybe Barry could, but Barry became less functional with every day that passed since Lup’s disappearance. Barry was desperate and anxious, even more so than on cycles she’d died because at least then he’d had set day she’d be coming back to look forward to.

Magnus sighed. He walked up to Taako and hugged him. Taako was tense, his shoulders rigid, but slowly, he relaxed.

“I understand.” Magnus said, in a tone that was softer than Taako was used to.

Magnus swayed them from side to side a little.

“What do you-” Taako asked, but Magnus wasn’t known for his patience like he was for his kindness, so Magnus interrupted.

“Why you go. I understand, I wouldn’t want to stay here either, just-” He paused, the words “come back soon” dying in his throat. “Just be careful. And don’t be too long.”

“Oh! That- um, yeah, totally, my dude. Guessed it in-.. Guessed it in one! Will be back before you know it.” Taako said, which was about what Magnus had expected him to answer.

What Magnus hadn’t expected was for Taako to turn around in his arms, still holding him close, but now facing each other.

“I’ll- I’ll be fine, Maggie. Don’t worry about me.” Taako said. He stood up on his toes and pressed a kiss against Magnus’s cheek. “Look after yourself while I’m gone. You’re family, too.”

Tears were threatening to escape Magnus eyes. Taako averted his eyes and stepped back.

“This is way to mushy, I wanted to get some food ready so you better not be snottering up while I’m trying to work.”

Magnus smiled through his tears.   
“Too late. There are Emotions now.” Magnus teased.

Taako wrinkled his nose. “Gross.” He said. Magnus grabbed Taako for one last bear hug squeeze before letting go and making his way out of the kitchen. He grabbed an apple on his way out.

“I love you!” Magnus yelled, back to his normal Magnus-volume. “And don’t be gone too long, I mean it!”

“Sure.” Taako said, refocusing on his food, though he was smiling this time.

They didn’t know it, but it would be the last time they would see each other for a very long time.

 

\--

 

Barry was fast asleep on the Starblaster deck. His notes were scattered across a small table and his glasses screwed up on his face. Taako had sneaked by earlier, contemplating waking him to ask about the proceedings. Eventually he’d thought better of it and pulled a blanket over his brother instead. If he was fast, Taako could be back before start of the morning. Barry would barely even miss him.

Barry needed the sleep. Taako pressed a kiss against Barry’s forehead, disgusted with himself how mushy he was becoming these last few years, and left. As silent and absence itself.

 

On the other end of the deck, Davenport and Merle were playing a card game.

It had become somewhat of a tradition for them, to play games and let the time wash away, and ease their moods a little.

“So that comes down to a 5, 9, and a- wait no, no that’s a six- sorry- and a 3.” Merle said.

Davenport nodded.

“2, 4, and 8 for me.” He said, his eyes not leaving Merle.

“Argh! I could have never beaten that. You win.” Davenport smiled and collected the cards to shuffle, but the he paused.

“You’ve- uhm, you’ve been, how shall I say, absent, today, Merle. Something- something on your mind?”

Merle sighed. “I don’t- I don’t know, It probably nothing.” He dismissed.

“It’s not nothing if it bothers you,” Davenport argued, and then softened. He reached out and intertwined their hands “You don’t have to tell me. I just worry.”

Merle nodded and gave his hand a short, reassuring squeeze.   
“It’s the kids, uh- Taako. He’s- He asked about the Gods in this planar system. Very specific questions, too. I mean, he might just be trying to distract himself or something, I mean,” Merle huffed, “Aren’t we all, you know?”

Davenport nodded empathetically, shuffling the cards.

“I just-” Merle continued, “I just feel like he’s planning something. There’s this air of, of I don’t know, conspiracy, you know? On the ship, I mean.”

Davenport thought it over, then hummed.

“You know, Merle?” He said, carefully mulling over his words. “I chose you all specifically, all those years ago. I handpicked from the best, and I know it all turned out a little different than expected, but still. I picked you, the six of you, to trust, to work with anything thrown your way. And then I continued to trust you for what must be over one hundred years now, Merle. Through exactly that, through whatever the world can throw at us.”  
Davenport stopped shuffling the cards and looked up into Merle’s eyes.

“If anyone on this ship was doing something behind my back, I-.. I don’t think I could find it in myself to mistrust them.” Davenport said eventually.

Merle nodded as Davenport handed him his cards.

“Yeah,” Merle said and sighed. “Yeah, I guess- I guess you’re right. They’re clever kids. I don’t know why I worry, I just-.. You know?”

Davenport smiled ruefully and began to sort the cards in his hands.

“Yes.” Davenport said. “I know.”

 

\--

 

Taako made the most of the length of his legs, making long strides to where he wanted to be. He’d talked with Kravitz earlier of his stone, and they’d agreed on a place to meet.

Taako tried not to let his hopes up, though it was hard.

With the absence of his sister weighing him down with every step, he found his way.

By his estimation he should get there a little on the early side. Though. something could always happen. In Taako’s experience, something happened more often than not.

This time, it was a weird feeling in his stomach as he made his way down the path. It was a funny, not all together comfortable feeling, something that slowly climbed up until he felt dizzy with it.

He couldn’t- he couldn’t remember-. Where the fuck did he-? His ears were ringing. And the headache, oh gods, the headache. He clawed at the sides of his head trying to make it stop.

Taako stepped to the side of the road and hunched over, though the ground found him a little sooner than planned and he ended up lying down.

Thoughts were swirling in in mind like a dam had broken and thoughts were now trying to burst out of his brain. Taako felt as though he was trying to peddle them back in with a spoon, while simultaneously trying not to drown under them.

He felt himself go empty and his head transform to a ball of static. The more he tried to think about it, the more it hurt.

He managed to fight it for a while, but it was a blessing when he eventually fell unconscious.

 

\--

 

Taako woke up on the side of the road. His mind was carefully blank, and his eyes glazed over with sleep.

The thought floated into his mind that perhaps he should get up. He found it to be a very good thought, and did so.

Taako’s stomach grumbled. Taako noted that he was hungry. He had food in his backpack.

Taako sat down again and opened his backpack. Inside he found food.

Satisfied with himself, he reached inside to grab a sandwich. It was then that he remembered he had an appointment with a guy. Death or something?

So, hunger forgotten, Taako closed his backpack again and stood up. He put his hands over his eyes and randomly pointed to a direction. And that was the way he went, strolling along the path, while his mind was carefully, _carefully_ blank.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kravitz has A Day. Also a little Ango cameo, woo!!

 

Lucretia moved as through a daze. She’d planned everything to the tiniest detail, and now her body worked as a machine through her plan. Letting Magnus see what she was doing was a mistake, but it wasn’t catastrophic. Soon enough, he’d be happy. Leading a life he should have gotten the chance to all along. A nice place in Ravensroost, it was easily found.

Barry, poor Barry, who had yet to wake up through all of this, could stay with her. Close to her, her friend.

When she couldn’t find Taako, she had mourned for her brother. He was more than capable and she fully trusted him to build a beautiful life on his own, but it was just that. On his own. Barry was supposed to go with him, and putting barry in a travelling cooking van on his own made no sense. She’d just keep him close, for now. Without Lup or Taako near, that might be the best option.

For Merle and Davenport she’d found a nice house near the beach, in a nice community.  
It wasn’t a big house. She’d wanted the best for them, of course. Lucretia had been so tempted to buy them a castle, and let them live like royalty with gorgeous scenery and the best food. Spacious ballrooms for them to dance and high towers to play chess in. But she also knew her friends. She knew the men she’d come to think of as her fathers, and they wouldn’t be comfortable in big spaces.

One cycle in particular jumped out to her. When they were invited to stay with the local royalty, to discuss the going on’s and negotiate for the light. They’d all gotten a personal room that was bigger than the whole ship.  
At first they’d been grateful, of course. But after the infinity spend so close together, on a small ship, the loneliness had gotten to them in less than a day.

Lup and Taako hadn’t even considered letting go of each other’s hand. Magnus had joined them after a few hours into the first night, and stayed with them for the rest of their stay. Lucretia and Barry, too polite to reject the rooms so openly, had slept mostly in the library chairs (which had been _ridiculously_ comfortable). Merle and Davenport had claimed a nice broom closet to sleep in. The rest was just too big to be comfortable.  
The small beach house would be perfect for them. Soon enough they’d be able to go home. Really home. But in the meantime, they’d be happy here. Together.

After Lucretia had carried them inside, she gently pressed a kiss against their sleeping heads.  
When she closed the front door behind her, she breathed out. Tears threatened to escape her, but she composed herself.

It would all work out, she told herself. They would be happy now.

She repeated that to herself like a mantra.

They would be happy.

They _would_.

 

\--

 

Kravitz bounced his leg up and down. Taako wasn’t there yet. He was late.  
Not very late. Not yet. But Taako didn’t struck Kravitz as someone who would be late without reason, especially not for something like this.

Kravitz had checked the stockade but no sign of Lup. He didn’t have her, which would be good news. Her name was still written in his book with bounties. She was out there somewhere. In what state they didn’t know, but she was out there somewhere. That was something.

Kravitz sighed irritably. He would love to tell Taako the good news, if only Taako could show up. Kravitz didn’t have time for this. He had enough to do.

Eventually- Finally- Kravitz saw the outline of a Taako shaped figure nearing. He walked strangely. Like in a dream, and not a good one. He walked like he’d forgotten he’d ever done so, and was working on muscle memory to do the work for him.  
Something was wrong. It was only when Kravitz saw his eyes that he understood how wrong things were.

“Taako.” Kravitz greeted. “Good to see you finally showed up.”

“Whaddup, my man.” Taako answered, “You aree.. My, boyfriend..? Yes? No? From your face I can tell it’s a no. Coolcoolcool.”

Kravitz shook his head. Something was clearly going on, but he had bigger things than Taako’s personal issues right now. They both had. “I have news about Lup, let’s sit down.”

“Who?” Taako asked.

“T-Taako?” Kravitz said again. “Lup, your sister. I have news.”

Taako frowned. “Okay first of all, how the fuck did you make that noise with your mouth?”

They stared at each other in silence for a few moments. Taako’s face growing more and more terrified as the seconds passed.

“I should go.” Taako said hastily. “I- I, this was a mistake.”

“Taako, please wait-”

“I shouldn’t have come here, I don’t even-”

“Please, there must be an explanation for this-”

“I was _unconscious_ at the side of the road, I don’t even know where I came from. I-”

“Taako.” Kravitz said, doing his best to sound soothing.

“I- I don’t-” Taako stuttered. He hiccupped.

Kravitz pulled him into his arms as Taako fought a wave of nauseating static. Kravitz had done so without thinking, but before he could panic about it Taako seemed to calm down a little. Together they breathed, or as close as Kravitz could get to breathing. Kravitz counted to ten and Taako tried to mirror the expanding and collapse of Kravitz chest.

“We’ll figure something out.” Kravitz said. “We will. There’s- There’s a little house near the forrest that’s yours, I believe? Could you stay there for now?”   
Taako breathed out slowly and gently pushed away from Kravitz. He had embarrassed himself enough as it was. He probably just hit his head or something, happened often enough at life on the road.

“Yeah, I do remember something about that. I’m not sure where it is, but it’s mine, I could stay there.”

Kravitz reluctantly let go of Taako, and nodded. He summoned his scythe and held on tight so he wouldn’t do something dumb, like take Taako’s hand and kiss his knuckles.

“I can bring you there.” Kravitz said, looking around to see if the coast was clear. Luckily, they’d chosen a more quiet spot to meet up, and when he saw and sensed noone he quickly cut a portal to the house they’d previously met.

Kravitz didn’t want to make Taako more upset, he had a bad feeling about all of this. He felt vaguely relieved to get Taako out of there. If they were being followed- if Taako was being followed, then at least no one could follow them now.

Kravitz lead Taako inside the house, which looked as the last time he’d seen it, except the symbols were scrubbed from the walls and the furniture was properly spread out over the place. The house was spacious, and should be good enough to live in, at least for a while.  
They sat down at the table, much like the last time, and Kravitz tried to ask more questions. Maybe figure out what had happened. The more questions he asked, the more confused Taako got, until it became unbearable for Taako and they had to stop.

“I promise I will try to figure out what happened, Taako.” Kravitz said, standing .

“Thank you, Krav, but I’m sure it’s nothing.” Taako said, in that horribly sincere way like he really believed it. “I’m just fine, my dude! Don’t worry about ol’ Taako.”

Kravitz smiled, used to it after the long, painful conversation he had tried to have with Taako that afternoon. “I’m sure. I will check up on you soon. Let me know if anything happens, yeah?”

“‘Course. Thanks Krav.”

“See ya, Taako.”

 

\--

 

Lydia, Edward, and Keetz. That’s the way it always was. That’s the way it always should have been. But then little Keetz went and died, not without them trying to reverse it, of course.  
He didn’t want to. Little Keetz walked right into becoming a traitor, working for the other side.  
And why? Because he didn’t love them enough.  

But never mind him.   
Lydia and Edward lived forever now, together. They had unlimited power, and hunger for more. Keetz was gone, but they could make their own second chances.

And then, the Bell came.  
Brought to them by bloody hands, they pocketed it. The power it possessed, they could make a trap that would lure people for centuries. They could add it to their collection and make sure the maze they’d build would never falter.

Unless…

Unless they used it for something else.

For something more.  
For, perhaps, a second chance. A second chance for a little brother that they’d loved so dearly once. This time, they could make it right- they’d make him just like them.

This time, they would make him perfect.

And he would love them. Oh, how he would love them.

The mathematics of making a person were complicated. That’s why, through most of history, it had been biology’s job. Pulling it into the cold, calculating hands of math was like switching up the dimensions.

It was like walking in time, and aging in length. But still, with the power the Bell provided, Lydia and Edward were confident they could make it happen. They weren’t just about to be stopped by something so simple and dull as laws of nature. Their existence alone defied those already. What’s breaking a few more rules, when rules are meant to be broken?  

To make a person would need a lot of power, but it would also need a soul that could stand that level of necromantic power.   
It was Lydia who had figured it out first, Edward close behind. There was no way a child would stay alive during the process, but luckily for Edward and Lydia, they had more than enough experience with certain other options.

In a way, they found it fitting, for their little prince to be born perfect. For him to be born in the form of who the twins were now;

A lich.

With the soul of a lich child came the next problem. A body strong enough to contain all of it. They would need something flexible. Something with enough muscle the store the power in. Something that could shapeshift, preferably. That way the child could still look like them, too.

They would need something with dragonic blood.

The math behind it was sticky business, but they managed. When they had the basics down, and the ingredients in place, it was only a matter of wait and see.  
It was time for them to put their power to the test. The maze was transformed into a lab for their upcoming small one. Airtight glass containers containing everything you could think of and more lined the shelves. Tubes with questionable liquids ran over their worktables.  

Their biggest doubt, at first, was if the Bell’s power would be strong enough to make it work. However, it would soon be clear to them how vastly they had been underestimating the Bell’s power.

The lifeless vessel, the blood, the soul they were growing; The Bell overpowered all of it. It sucked and sucked at their installation, tore down everything in its path, until it was clear that Lydia and Edward couldn’t pretend to be able to control it anymore.

Panicked, they fled- not to far. Never too far, but just out of the way. Just enough to be safe.

They didn’t know how much time had passed, hovering around their labs, listening intently to the sounds coming from inside. The power of the Bell was wreaking havoc for a long time. But eventually, slowly, the noise from inside the lab died down, and in the silence they heard.

A small voice, tired and afraid; screaming.

The twins looked at each other with unfiltered excitement. Finally- Finally!!- their little baby bro was theirs again. After years of griefing, and months and months of work, everything had paid of and now they had a child to do with as they wished, completely theirs. A second chance.

Angus was born.

 

\--

 

Thunder rang outside, muffled by the storm, amplified by the dark. Kravitz was working hard on his runes. He’d been drawing and re-drawing on the floor, like Taako had done all those months ago.

From the kitchen, he could hear Taako’s soft, melancholic singing. It was half of a duet Kravitz didn’t recognise the language of. Kravitz had long since guessed who the other half of the duet belonged to.

It was familiar, sitting in Taako’s little house, working on things so much bigger than Kravitz would have liked. Or rather, it had grown to be familiar.

After he had left Taako behind that day, confused and more scared than he would admit, Kravitz had learned a lot of things.

He’d learned that the rest of the population, like Taako, had also forgotten about the wars. He’d learned that that hadn’t meant that the deaths by the objects had gotten any less, but he supposed the forced halt of the hunt for the objects was a good thing.

He’d learned that nobody was following him or Taako, and he intended to keep a very close eye on that to make sure it stayed that way.

He’d learned that Taako was an amazing cook and could dance nicely. He’d learned that Taako prefered his coffee with more sugar than could fit in the mug, but would never ask for it. He learned that Taako slept on the left side of the bed, and slept better when there was someone sleeping beside him.

He’d learned that Taako’s lips were soft and tasted like apple and cinnamon.

Krivitz smiled to himself. It wasn’t all bad, he thought.

With the storm shut outside, and a warm house to return to whenever every day, Kravitz felt almost guilty for finding this much contentment when the world was in so much pain.

He’d talked about it with Taako, for as far as he could without static taking over their conversations completely. Taako had in turn pointed out that Kravitz was a giant idiot who was allowed nice things (Taako) and he wasn’t “taking advantage of the situation (of Taako)” when everyone involved (Taako) fully agreed, consented and enjoyed it. He’d said Kravitz was allowed to not be miserable, even if his work was asking a lot of him.

It sounded deceptfully logical, though Kravitz wasn’t fully convinced just yet.

As if reading his mind, Taako called from the kitchen.

“You better not be fucking sad again, or I will take your chalk away, don’t tempt me! Dinner’s almost ready.”

Kravitz chuckled. “I’m just finishing up here.” He called back. He dusted off his hands which produced a small cloud of chalk.

The runes were almost done. Kravitz couldn’t figure out what was missing, but it was as close to perfect as he could get them. His last runes, the ones meant to monitor big, sudden outpours of magic, were getting old and were in dire need of renewment.

Kravitz squinted at the runes. It should.. But what if he…

In his concentration, he hadn’t heard Taako walk over.

“If you remove those circles there and add some sort of modifier for that one it’ll run a lot smoother.” Taako said, quickly glancing over the whole bubs.

“Taako, that’s _genius._ ”

Taako grinned and grabbed Kravitz arm. “Come on.” He said. “Dinner.”

“No, I need to- I need to fix this,”

“Nuhuh, dinner. It’s ready, it’s waiting, it’s getting cold.”

“I don’t technically need to eat, Taako.” Kravitz argued, already feeling like he was going to lose this one.

“I don’t care, _I_ need to eat and I will make you.” He said. “At a table.” He added, when he saw Kravitz open his mouth.

Kravitz sighed and smiled. “I guess I could use a break.” He said.

“Fuck yeah, you do, my du-” Taako cut himself off, his eyes going wide. “Krav. Krav, is it supposed to..uhh.”   
Kravitz frowned and followed Taako’s line of sight.

“No.” Kravitz said. “No, it is not.”

The runes were glowing, even the unfinished lines, and the blurry patches of badly wiped away chalk. They illuminated the room with pale white light. Some lines were smoking.

It was like the runes tried to pull their attention. Something was going on and they needed to figure out what.

Kravitz gulped and stepped forward, trying to make some sense of the readings. Taako was right in step behind him.

“It’s trying to tell you something, you need a map.” Taako said.

“It’s not supposed to tell me things, it isn’t even fully finished.”   
“Well tough shit, babe, for all I know it’s not supposed to do this at all.”

Kravitz looked hurriedly around. “Do we have a map?” he asked, but Taako was already moving.

“Got one,” Taako said, “here.”

They laid out the map on the floor and mimicked the runes patterns on it. The symbols they’d drawn had meanwhile not ceased to glow, and if anything only shined harder.

“I think we should go there.” Taako pointed to a point in the left right of the map, right in the middle of a large forest where the symbols seemed to be pointing them.  

“We’re not going anywhere, I’m going there on my own.” Kravitz said, marking the place on the map.

“I don’t want you alone there, it could be dangerous.” Taako said.

“Exactly.” Kravitz said and materialized his scythe. When he saw the look on Taako’s face he leaned down and kissed him. “I’ll be fine, I promise.”

“Whatever! Fine!” Taako said as Kravitz summoned a portal. Kravitz stepped through the portal and just as it was about to close Taako said, in a soft tone probably not meant to be heard “Be careful.”

Kravitz grimaced, transforming smoothly into his skeletal form, fire blazing from his eyes. Whatever had pulled him away tonight wasn’t getting any mercy.

 

\--

 

Thunder roared as Merle stood over a pot of gently simmering soup. The soup and thunder were unrelated. Merle had been planning to make soup long before it started storming. However unrelated they originally were though, it did help Merle’s mood that he now felt like an old fashioned witch, hanging over a new brewing potion.

Davenport sat at the kitchen table. He was working on polishing the insides of a clock.

“Hey Dav,” Merle said, “Look at me, I’m like one of those old timey witches.”   
Davenport looked up and chuckled.

Davenport didn’t say much, Merle knew. He said his name, which could mean anything from Goodmorning to I’m sorry.

Lately, he’d been saying Merle’s name too. That had been a big day, when Dav managed that one. He didn’t say it often, but always in the same, gentle voice. Dav’s eyes would go soft around the edges, and the word would mean everything that words couldn’t typically encompass.

“Davenport.” Davenport said, pulling Merle from his thoughts. The soup was boiling, and Merle quickly brought the heat down. Somehow, Dav always knew when Merle’s mind was drifting off.

Merle smiled back at Davenport. “Thanks, Dav. I can always count on ya.”   
Davenport smiled back, and in the warmth and safety of their kitchen, they were blissfully ignorant of what was happening a little further away. Outside in the cold of the night.

They didn’t know their (scattered, forgotten, but still good) family was about to grow a little bigger.

 

\--

 

Kravitz was having a very good day.

That’s what he told himself as he made his way through the dark, wet, and cold jungle. It was definitely, without a doubt, the best friday of this week yet.   
Mud clang onto his legs up to and above his knees.

Behind him a bush ruffled and Kravitz gripped his scythe a little tighter. Maybe the runes were wrong, he thought. Maybe this was all a misunderstanding and he could go back home in a minute.  
Kravitz tripped over a branch and fell face-first in the mud. He stared down at the mud with an expressionless face, because that is how skulls work.  
This was just great.

The mud broke his fall. Sort of. That was good.

Who was he kidding? Kravitz had just about had it with the unexplained mysteries the world kept piling onto him. Something vaguely familiar- something hateful- was simmering in his gut. Out in the rain, being pulled from his warm home, hunting some nasty necromantic bullshit, he felt downright revengefull. But that is a dangerous way to feel for an agent of death.

The moment his eyes fell on the lab-like construction his fury was renewed. Kravitz knew this energy. The familiar feeling he’d felt suddenly made sense now. The buzzing under his skin, and the feeling of danger just outside the corners of his eyes weren’t without reason.

This was the twins domain.

If it was any other day, Kravitz might have ran. If it had been a year before, he wouldn’t even have thought twice about turning around and running away as fast as he could. But as it was, Kravitz stood and observed the building quietly. His meeting with Taako, the first one, had been very insightful. It had given him a lot of answers and more understanding than he had dared to hope for, but that didn’t make him any less ruthless in his job. If anything it made him more so.

Knowing where all the confusion came from gave him ground to kick off from and protect his people, the people of fearun, from something bigger. The last months Kravitz had worked tirelessly against the waves of chaos and confusion. As the world was simmering down to more manageable levels of fucked up, Kravitz had grown more resilient.   
With something solid to protect now, a voice and a smile in his mind from one specific person (or elf), Kravitz found himself unable to turn away and leave the world exposed to the danger that he was bound to find inside the structure.

He couldn’t leave it. Especially since he knew how dangerous they could be. The beings that once were his siblings had been powerful when they were alive, but now… Now they were almost unstoppable.

Almost.

Kravitz rushed in.

 

\--

 

The wailing. It was unbearable.

It was piercing straight through Kravitz heart. It asked him to do.. Something- anything. Kravitz was fairly certain he’d do anything to make it stop, or to make it-.. Happy? He didn’t know. He couldn’t think.

Something was _screaming._

Kravitz pushed through, closer to the center of the building. He stepped over the debris and avoided the sparks from various, dubious, sources. The place looked wrecked. As he got opened the doors to the next room, the screaming died down. The quiet it left behind was almost worse than the noise.  It felt like it was made out some weird material, definitely not usual building-making materials. Kravitz was about to look closer when doors flew open, slamming them against the walls.

Lydia stood in the door opening. She was the first one to go in, as usual. Her reckless behaviour letting her take initiative as Edward took his time falling in behind her. She stopped when she saw him though. She stood as stone abruptly, blocking the entree.

“Hey what--” Edward said, and stopped when he saw Kravitz.

“Keats.” Lydia said.

“It’s Kravitz now.” Kravitz said, raising his scythe in preparation of an oncoming battle.

“Why are you even here?” Edward asked. “It’s too late to return home, Keats.”

“What the fuck did you do?” Kravitz asked, baring his teeth.

“Slow down, little dude.” Lydia stepped closer as she spoke. “This is our terrain. Go. You’re not welcome here anymore, you’ve had your chance.”   
Kravitz would lie if he said that didn’t hurt at all, but it didn’t hurt much. He was aware of the miserable state they were in, and they had long ceased to be his family. Kravitz was more worried about what they were saying.

Or rather, what they weren’t saying. Lydia and Edward had always been so proud of their ideas and intellect, telling everyone who would what their new genius plan was.

Kravitz hunched over, firming his grip on his scythe. “I’ll ask you one last time.” He said. “What. Did. You do?”

“Whatever we may or may not have done, you’re the one who’s responsible in the first place.” Edward said, creeping closer to where his sister were standing.   
“And what’s that?” Kravitz asked.

He was answered not by Lydia or Edward, but a sniffling growing into a wail. Lydia and Edward exchanged glances.

“It lives.” Lydia said, her voice breaking.

Edward chuckled, a little unbelieving.

 _It lives_. Kravitz took a step back. What---?

He didn’t have time for his sib- for these liches’ bullshit.

He swung his scythe in the direction of Lydia, who stood closest to him. She sidestepped him and made a foreign motion with her hands. He could see smoke surrounding her hands and it hurt. Somehow, the smoke hurt on a soul-deep level, and Kravitz didn’t understand, and he didn’t have the time to figure it out because a builder dropped from the sky- the ceiling?- and tried to crush him.

It didn’t crush him, of course. It didn’t crush him because Kravitz lept toward Edward.   
Edward pulled his hands up, similarly surrounded with smoke, and made a wall. Kravitz did run into the wall.

While Kravitz was busy with Edward, Lydia took off running into the next room.

Kravitz made the split second decision to get Edward out of their lair as quick as possible, and opened a portal to the astral plane.

He kicked Edward into it and just as quickly shut it after him. It was a quick fix. But it wasn’t actually handling the issue as much as shoving the issue into the hands of other people. Kravitz would apologize for that next time he saw his cowowrkers.

While Kravitz was practically he only reaper, the raven queen had many being under her command. She had people patrolling the astral for exactly these kind of things, and they were at the moment much better equipped to deal with it than Kravitz. At this point, they were better equipped to deal with anything. Kravitz was a mess.

Besides, getting the twins separated and out of the lair would take away a lot of their power.

Kravitz looked around the room, the screaming still ringing in his ears, and found Lydia to be gone. He ran into the next room.

There was a strange elongated podium. An elevated platform that didn’t look completely unlike a catwalk. As soon as he was in the room, the door he came through disappeared.

“Lydia.” Kravitz said. “It doesn’t have to be this way.”

“What the fuck did you do to my brother?” Lydia’s voice echoed all around him. Kravitz shifted his weight on his feet. He wasn’t sure if she was talking about himself or Edward, and he wasn’t eager to find out.

“We could do this in a peaceful way.” Kravitz said instead.

“You are not stealing another brother of me ever again.” Lydia boomed.

That shouldn’t be too hard, Kravitz thought to himself. Two down, zero to go.

Lydia lept out of the darkness. Kravitz could barely raise his scythe in time for her sharp blade to pierce through his defenses. He felt her blade saw a rig in one of his bones. He sidestepped quickly, but the worst of the initial attack had already gotten him.

And then it was just them, face to face. Kravitz, wide-eyed, flaming. Skeletal. Lydia, hunched over, grunting. Lich.

Still, Kravitz could recognise the form of her smile, and remember a time he’d treat her smile as a gift. She, with her head slightly cocked to the side, was so deeply familiar to him, but the misty, desperate space she inhabited was wrong. This was not the sister he’d once loved.

In the end, it was never a fair fight to begin with. Lydia was waning, just barely holding onto her sanity. or what could pass for it. Kravitz had meanwhile trained for decades, if not centuries, specifically for these type of situations. And that was even without mentioning the support of a Goddess.  
Kravitz caged her sickly soul quickly and efficiently. He couldn’t bare to cause her too much pain. This was not his sister but, in honor of the name her form still carried, he smiled at her soul, safely in his hands.

“I’m taking you home, love.” He said. “We’ll see if they caught Edward yet. I can put you close together. I- I think you’d have liked that.”

He turned around, and not surprisingly, found the whole structure around him falling down in smoke. The fabric of space was quickly catching on that nothing was supporting this building anymore. That it shouldn’t have been in existence in the first place. The rain started trickling in from above, where the ceiling was busy ceasing to exist.

Kravitz looked up. He shifted back to his human form, letting the drops tick against his skin. He didn't mind. He couldn’t get sick from it.

To be completely honest, he didn’t entirely know why he was still standing there. Maybe it was that he was tired and needed a few seconds to breathe. Maybe it was the emotional backlash of something someone has been worried about for so long turning out really well. Maybe it was something larger, something deep within him telling him to stay.   
Maybe it was pure chance. But he stood, for those essential few seconds to enjoy the rain. And as he did, he heard something sniffling.

All his senses were back online in an instant. In the perfect square of nothing in the clearing of a jungle, Kravitz stood, alert. His eyes shifted from side to side. The rain was now full on pouring, hindering his sight.

After a few seconds however, the tell tale scream of a small child rang through the space.   
Kravitz approached. Lydia’s words flit through his mind. How could he have forgotten.

_“It lives.”_

Kravitz worried, but as he came closer all he could see was a small bundle of fabrics. It was covered by slime and small pieces of glass and small tubes were scattered all over, but that was all it did.

Kravitz cleared his throat. “Hello?” He said.

The baby screamed.

“I am Kravitz.” He said, and then added, “From the Raven Queen.”

The baby screamed.

“I am going to pick you up now.” Kravitz warned. It wasn’t the weirdest thing he’d encountered.

The baby screamed. Kravitz wasn’t very well versed in Baby, so he was hesitant. Though, he supposed it couldn’t get much worse for the child and that helped to ease his nerves a little.

Kravitz gently took the baby is his arms, trying his hardest to remember everything he’d learned about babies in the past decades. Something about supporting his head?

Instinctively, Kravitz started bouncing a little.

The baby stopped screaming. Kravitz looked at the baby.

“Thank you.” He said. He felt like this was a good development. The pride he felt growing in his chest would however not last very long. A few moments later smoke started to erupt from the fabrics, and barely a few moments later even, the baby caught fire.

“Oh shit.” Kravitz said.

The baby giggled. And Kravitz didn’t know a lot of things about babies but he was pretty sure they weren’t supposed to be on fire. The baby didn’t seem to mind much.

“Alright then.” Kravitz said. “I can work with this. Let’s get you, umm.. We’ll work something out.”

With the flaming baby in one arm, and the soul of his old sister in the other, he wiggled his scythe around. Between his shoulder and chin, and some clumsy leg movement, he got it to actually open a portal to the astral plane.

Kravitz was sure having a day.

**Author's Note:**

> <3!!!!


End file.
